I was among a group staying here. This place is a miniature castle perched on a hill. The rooms range in size, but are all lovely. My room was large and had a balcony with a great view of the area. The staff are extremely friendly and ready to help. The breakfast is terrific. The neighborhood, Melville, is pleasant. There are restaurants nearby and the grocery store or drug store a quick stroll down the road. Except at night when the streets tend to empty out, I felt quite safe in this area. I recommend.

I had read a very complimentary snippet in a travel magazine about this guesthouse, and so I booked a room here, for three nights. I am a regular visitor to Melville.

As another member stated, it is helpful to have a GPS with you, and with that, it easy find it; otherwise, good luck! Made by bookings by email, and I quickly received a form to complete; payment upfront is required by means of credit card or bank transfer.

My flight arrived early in the morning, and I was at their door before 9:00, and that did not pose a problem whatsoever. I was quickly taken to a room on the first floor above the breakfast room.

First Impressions:

This guesthouse sits on top of a hill and the house does look like a small castle! The decor is very quirky and artsy, and there seems to be “one-of a kind” items throughout the place.

My Room:

I had a full view of the swimming pool, and partial view of the Koppies. There was also a little balcony with a small round table and chair. The things in the room are old, but more like “collectibles” rather than "tired-old." The king bed had a wrought-iron frame, tons of pillows, a wonderful duvet, and blankets. While it was not cold enough to light up the fireplace in the room, it was chilly at night, and the duvet was gorgeous! Believe me, Joburg on a cold winter day is miserable, and a fireplace is heaven sent!

The bathroom is BIG; the shower is huge, with a two shower heads, situated opposite each other, and there is also a bathtub. The toiletries are plentiful, as are the towels! A little table to place my toiletries inside the bathroom would have been really handy, but was absent.

While there was no safe in my room, I was given the keys to a lockable closet (wardrobe), and I felt my things were perfectly safe in there.

Breakfast:

I always managed to time my breakfast when there was nobody in the dining room, so, I felt that 1) I got a well prepared brekkie, and 2) had the opportunity to chit-chat with that wonderful gentleman from Zim (Zimbabwe); the chef.

Other amenities:

Had some clothes washed and ironed, and they were delivered the same day; prices are extremely reasonable!

Free Wi-Fi!

Dislikes:

The parking inside the B&B is limited to may six-eight cars. One time I was so far into a nook, that I had to ask a staffer to drive the car out of the parking area. Of course, I suspect she does this frequently, as she maneuvered the car out of there in two seconds flat!

And, there are stairs everywhere, and if you have 1) heavy luggage or 2) you are mobility-impaired, you will not be a happy camper! So, make sure you ask for assistance with the bags, and if you can’t move about too well, you need to let them know.

Summary:

Truthfully, in spite of the stairs and more stairs, and the parking situation, I enjoyed my stay at this lovely, quirky, artsy, and neurotic B&B!

The area is perfectly safe, and during the daylight, either mornings or late afternoons, I have many a times ventured out for a stroll in the immediate B&B’s area (I've stayed in another B&B near this one). If you’re into fitness, you’ll be challenged by the many hills! However, to go out for dinner on 7th street, etc., it is recommended that you take your car or a taxi, as the guesthouse is a little far from the action (about 2 kilometers), and it is probably not safe to walk at night, as the neighborhood tends to be poorly illuminated.

This was my first time in Johannesburg, and I was concerned about safety. This hotel, as other reviews state, is like a small castle with superb views over the city. I reserved a luxury suit but was upgraded - it looked very slow season in the beggining of October. Our room was in the upper part, just by a beautiful pool (though the water was too cold to get in). It was quite a big place, with a fire place (it was not that cold, so we didn't use it), and a very big bathroom, with a bathtub and two showers (can you imagine that?!). The breakfast is so big it will keep you full for the next 6 hours or more. I can see that, since the floor are in ceramic, it can get very chilling during the winter time. But we arrived in spring, so we didn't have any problems with temperature. And the bed is king size, with very upstandard sheets. I would recommend anyone this property. Just notice that if you're thinking about renting a car, do not forget to bring a GPS - you cannot get no decent free maps in this city, and, as I said, the hotel is away from main roads, so you have to know where you're headding to find it out safely.

This accommodation is very different to anywhere we have stayed before. Each room is quirky and with such high ceilings you get a real sense of space. Views are fantastic. Brenda looked after us so well.Location was great for us and we could get cabs cheaply to places we needed to go.